Bow-facing oar.



0. B. SHEDD.

' Bow FACING OAR.

(Application filed May 8, 1901.)

Patented Ian. I4, I902.

(No Model.)

'UNITED arnnr rrrcn.

' v ORLANDO B. SHEDD, OF ST. JOHNSVILLE, NEW YORK.

BOW-FAG] NG OAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,080, dated January14, 1902. Application filed May 3.1901. fierial No. 58,618. (No modelfTo all whom it may concern/.-

Be it. known that I, ORLANDO B. Snnnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Johnsville, in the county of Montgomery and State of NewYork, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oars, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to oars of the bowfacingtype, it having twoconnected sections, one a handle and the other a blade, which latter isadapted to be dipped into the water to propel a boat forward while theoperator manipulating the handle portion faces the bow of such boat, andthe improved oar is thoroughly simple and light yet perfectly strong.

The invention includes as one of its features an oar in two sectionshaving rounded ends and U-shaped plates fastened to said ends, thechannels of the plates being adapted to receive chains-say of the wellknown sprocket typeconnecied at their ends to the respective sections ofthe oar, and said sections are adapted to receive pivots extending froma connecting member, hereinafter described, whereby through said chainswhen the handle portion of the oar is actuated the blade thereof will beoppositely oscillated. The channelplates serve to maintain thesprocket-chains in their operative positions and against side play, sothat there will result no lost motion in the operation of the oar. Thesaid sections receive sleeves through which pivot-pins are adapted toextend, said pins being rigid upon a connecting member and beingconnected by a tie-bar, this construction being a decidedly stable andefficient one.

I desire at this point to state that I employ the term chain asagenericone, for equivalent means maybe employed for the same purpose, though achain is preferable.

Theinvention is clearlyillustrated in the accompanying drawings, which,with the characters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisspecification, and in which- Figure 1 is a View in perspective of theoar mounted in place in the position it occupies in rowing a boat. Fig.2is a detail in elevation of one of the sections of the oar. Fig. 3 is asectional side elevation of a connecting device for the sections of theoar. Fig. 4 is a similar view of an oar-support. Fig. 5 is an elevationof a channel-plate.

Like characters refer to like parts in all the figures ofthe drawings.

The car is denoted in a general way by A, and it is divided into twooperatively-connected parts, as 2 and 3, the former constituting theblade-section and the other the handle-section, and being constructed,preferably, though not necessarily, of Wood. The adjacent ends of thesections are rounded, and they areadapted to receive channeled orgrooved plates, as C, of metal, substantially U shape, fastened to thesections by screwsor similar means. Each section carries two parallelplates, and they are adapted to receive bands, as 4, as the sectionsoscillate. Said bands consist, preferably, of sprocketchains, which areconnected at their ends to said sections and which serve to transfer thepower of the handle-section 3 to the bladesection 2 for the purpose ofoperating the latter, and these plates hold the chains positively inposition and prevent any sagging thereof. The chains are fixedlyconnected at one end to one section of the oar-say the blade partthereofwhile the opposite ends thereof are adjustably joined to thehandlesection for the purpose of tensioning said chains. Each chain ofcourse is guided by a channeled plate on one section and the adjacentplate on the other section, and the plates on the handle-section receivein their channels projections, as 5, perforated to receive the threadedshanks 6, having hooks to enter the links at What might be termed theinner ends of the chains. Said threaded shanks receive nuts, as 7,engaging the fixed projections. By turning the nuts the chains may beeither tightened or loosened. The sections are united bya connectingmember, (designated in a general way by 13,) including a longitudinalbody, as 8, adapted to fit against and overlap the under faces of thesections 2 and 3. This body has at or near its ends the rigid pivot-pins9, extending perpendicularly therefrom and which may be cheaply cast inone piece with the longitudinal body 8. These pivot-pins are adapted toproject through and beyond fixed bearingsleeves, as 10, driven throughthe sections of the oar, it being evident from this that the saidsections are oppositely vibratory. The

.pins are threaded at their upper ends to receive the holding-nuts 12,which are adapted to engage the tie-rod 13, uniting the said pins andstrengthening them to better resist the lateral stress to which they aresubjected.

manner to the gunwale of. a boat.

The body 8 has on its under sidea depending lug 14, perforated toreceive the pivotv pinor bolt 15, connected to the upper ends of theparallel lugs 16, rising from the baseplate 17, which is fastened insome suitable The baseplate, with its lugs and pivot, constitutes asimple oar-support and permits thedipping of the'oar-blade into and itsremoval from the water while propelling said boat.

The invention is not limited to the precise construction previouslydescribed, for variations Within the scope of the appended claims may bemade.

Having described the invention,

1. An oar in two sections havingrounded ends and substantiallyU-jshaped, channelplates connected to said ends and chains lying in thechannels of the plates and connected respectively with said sections.

2. An oar in two sections having rounded sections to receive saidshanks, and nuts 011 the latter.

4. An oar in two sections, sleeves extending through the sections, amember having bolts extending through the sleeves, chains connectingsaid sections, a tiebar uniting the bolts,nuts-on said bolts, andchanneled plates, the channels of which receive said chains.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit-' nesses. v

' ORLANDO SHEDD.

Witnesses:

EDWARD R. I-IALL, J. A, THOMSON.

